In America boys are raised with cars as being the ultimate luxury toy that they desire from well before they can drive. It isn't uncommon for kids to have posters of super cars in their room and eagerly anticipate the day they may be able to afford even a budget model. That day doesn't come for many people but that doesn't stop them form lusting over these powerful and impractical machines. To a large degree that is what makes the high-end car industry so powerful - the fact that people are bred from a small age to want one. In at least the United States the same isn't true with watches at this time. Perhaps that will change in the future. I can hope and with the amount of marketing dollars being pumped into the media it might happen a bit sooner than later.

Maybe a good way of moving in that direction is the marriage of cars and watches in successful packages such as this. Ferrari has had an interesting history with watch brands. I think that this small partnership with Cabestan was one of the most successful in terms of creating an amazing product. Right now the only watch brand that will be making Ferrari-branded watches is Hublot. We will see what cool products will come as a result very soon.

For those people lucky enough to ever own one of these Scuderia Ferrari One watches life is good. Cabestan is a limited production Swiss brand with a truly fascinating recent history. Their master watch maker is one of the most talented guys around and this piece was designed by the idea-king Mr. Ruchonnet who is responsible for many of today's other most interesting watch concepts.

The Scuderia Ferrari One was a design evolution on the original Winch Vertical Tourbillon. The movement is mostly the same, but the case and concept are quite different. The case on the watch is beautifully designed and crafted. It feels so good on the wrist and hearkens the look of Ferrari engine parts and tools. It is possible that I am wrong but I think the case here is titanium. The little details that promote this theme are intense and highly engineered. I am not enough of a Ferrari expert to appreciate them all. The base watch itself has some wild features to it that just adds to how much this is a gear-head's watches.

Bulging corners on the watch part of the winch connection system. Only the top two ones are for operating the watch though. This is where the winch system comes in. Cabestan provides a tiny mechanical winch that you attach to the case. Attaching it to the left side allows you to wind the movement (which has a three day power reserve), and right side is for changing the time. It works beautifully in an oddly over-engineered manner. The winch itself is made up of about 40 parts. It is a testament to horology that something that like even exists as it sits on the tip of your finger and even has a sapphire exhibition window to see the parts. The internal mechanism mostly acts as winding limiter to prevent you from over-winding and damaging the movement.

As the winch detaches there is risk of losing it. It actually stores in a special compartment in the watch deployment clasp. Good thinking Cabestan. Lose the winch and the price is about 4,500 Swiss Francs for a new one. The winch system was fun but proved to be a bit impractical. Moving forward on watches such as the Cabestan Trapezium, the brand has engineered the need for the winch out of the watch concept. It will remain a special thing of legends in the watch world and a sign of things that can come out of this industry.

The Ferrari watch of course retains the winch concept, but the piece also comes with a stylus you can use for winding it and adjusting the time. It is a very unique system and you'll be amazed at the details if you ever get to play with one. The movement itself is a watch nerds dream. Most people will have no ability to appreciate it or understand what they are looking at. The movement combines a vertical tourbillon and fusee and chain transmission system. It is incredibly accurate for a mechanical watch and tells the time on moving drums. Overall indicators for the watch are the time with seconds, and a power reserve indicator.

The original Winch Vertical Tourbillon has two windows to see the dial with a middle section separating them. The Scuderia Ferrari One still has the middle section, but just one sapphire crystal over the entire face of the watch. This is where the Ferrari logo sits - on a carbon fiber middle rod. Very much in line with the Ferrari look. The movement itself is something anyone can enjoy. It is very cool to operate and watch in action. Cabestan has done an extremely good job with it. The concept has quirks of course, but you genuinely feel that it is something worth what they charge.

Ferrari is notoriously picky in the items they allow to have their name on it. Cabestan originally didn't expect for the project to go through - but the design and base watch impressed the Ferrari people enough to green light the project. As you can see on the rear of the watch, it is limited to 60 pieces. That isn't very many watches and Cabestan reportedly doesn't even know who most of the owners are as most were sold through Ferrari to customers directly. I am pretty sure you needed to have a Ferrari car to even be considered to buy one of these. Price wise it is actually like having a Ferrari on your wrist.

Is this the ultimate accessory for Ferrari owners? Probably. 100 years from now I wonder what people will think of it. Will they remember what Cabestan was all about. Will the watch make sense? Will they realize that it is a Ferrari approved design? Seeing things like this bring together so many worlds I love that it is hard not to get giddy. The Cabestan Scuderia Ferrari One is an interesting horological rarity borne out of passion and the mutual respect that two brands had for one another. The owners of these watches are more than lucky. Price was well north of $300,000.

Watch Brands

Fueled by an unshakable love for horology and a general curiosity for intricate things, Ariel Adams founded aBlogtoWatch in 2007 as a means of sharing his passion. Since then, ABTW has become the highest trafficked blog on luxury timepieces, and Ariel has become a contributor to other online publications such as Forbes, Departures and Tech Crunch, to name just a few. His conversational writing style and inclusive attitude brings a wider appreciation for watches the world over, and that's just the way he likes it.
Follow me on Google+ Ariel Adams

Cabestan have another similarly overpriced piece in the RJ Titanic DNA line, they’re undoubtedly interesting and impressive to a degree, but in my opinion at least, not worth that sort of money (few watches are). Not sure I agree that Ferrari are notoriously picky about what they’ll put their name to either, seems like they’ll allow their badge placed on any load of tat if the money is there!

AtSeaWatch

@Greg S Yeah, I couldn’t believe Ariel was suggesting Ferrari was actually picky about marketing. Like those $90 Ferrari pencil sets really represent the spirit of a brand so uninspired even its logo is ripped off.

StuartR

I used to work for a company that was a Ferrari licensee and I have always found something a little distasteful about the way they pimp the brand out to anyone who will pay the royalty fee. They have now had a number of watch partners (it was Panerai at the time I dealt with them) and it really does devalue the brand. Very few of the official licensed products have any credibility – mostly overpriced trinkets for people with more money than taste!

JohnnyJohnnyJohnny

@StuartR this watch looks like a gothic treadmill.

Ulysses31

The Cabestan Trapezium is nicer (“nicer” being a relative term here). It may be designed to look like an engine part but those four “wheels” on the sides make it look like a child’s toy car that I would be embarrassed to have strapped to my wrist. That strip of carbon fibre (is it carbon fibre?) looks out of place smack in the middle of a dial full of nice delicate machinery, screaming “LOOK AT ME!”; like a fancy tag on a piece of clothing it shouldn’t be centre-stage. I agree with StuartR, this incessant desire to pimp the brand on anything and everything lowers the perception of Ferrari. Coffee mugs, baseball caps, anoraks – it’s an obvious attempt to cash in on the legendary cachet of the brand and so whenever I see anything Ferrari branded I don’t see it as any more sophisticated or classy than sponsorship branding on a soccer shirt. It’s a shame really because Cabestan obviously have a lot of engineering prowess to make something like this.

JohnnyJohnnyJohnny

Ariel, didn’t you say the bracelets-with-watches fad was douchey?

http://ablogtowatch.com admin

I don’t recall saying that. But if I did… I take it back.

AtSeaWatch

@JohnnyJohnnyJohnny Sure, he may have said that, but it was an admission of guilt rather than a criticism of others.

MichaelG

Amusingly, I would very much like to own this piece IF it wasn’t Ferrari branded.

JohnnyJohnnyJohnny

@MichaelG what do you have against quality Italian engineering?

MichaelG

@JohnnyJohnnyJohnny Absolutely nothing, quite the contrary. I have a great passion for Il Cavallino Rampante, but I don’t conceive a watch that blatantly screams ‘look, I’m a Ferrari watch’. Fans of the brand may like items that are clearly branded, but owners of a Ferrari generally prefer subtle branding or none at all. Also, I don’t think this watch needs to scream Ferrari at it is already a engineering spectacle.

JohnnyJohnnyJohnny

@MichaelG @JohnnyJohnnyJohnny I would argue that people who own Ferrari’s enjoy other people knowing that they own Ferrari’s. Its not what I would call a subtle indulgence. But I digress. I share your distaste for the cheapening of the Ferrari name.

StuartR

@JohnnyJohnnyJohnny @MichaelG Agreed – some of the nicest people I ever met when I was associated with the dancing donkey were multiple owners who clearly had more money than they could spend if they tried and who would run a mile from this kind of overtly flamboyant nonsense. The people who will buy this watch probably own one car that’s leased and polished to within an inch of its life after every outing!

JohnnyJohnnyJohnny

@StuartR @MichaelG I suppose those in banking are a different breed. I’ve got a VP who isnt afraid to let everyone know what he drives. If I had 300k to throw down, I would sooner buy 1,587 (300k/189) Orange Monsters and ship them to kids in various impoverished parts of the world than buy this shit show.

ericyawopoku

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AtSeaWatch

@ericyawopoku Seriously, eric, you’re just spouting industry hype. You need to evaluate this critically! What does this say about their approach to the watchmakers’ art? Is this advancing it, or simply gilding it? Until you stop buying into the BS, you won’t be a real WIS.

For all it’s mechanical magesty, they simply could not have made it any uglier.

AtSeaWatch

Let’s be honest, this is about fleecing the dumb rich. 4,500CHF for that little metal crank? The crank represents crummy compromised engineering, and they’re going to punish you for buying it by making you overpay to replace a removeable item that shouldn’t have existed in the first place.

At least the piece is horologically interesting. After this, tools looking for watches with Ferrari logos will need to purchase one of a the incoming flood of Hublot Ferrari “special” editions. The Hublot F50 Customer Bang, the Enzo Black on Black Black Bang with black opaque crystal and display back, etc.

MikiMichael

This watch looking like a cash register. Have nothing to do with wristwatch.

AtSeaWatch

@MikiMichael I like that aesthetically Cabestan went its own way with the watch. The design is as unique as the movement.

CG

Last great Ferrari …365GT 2+2, a great Ferrari watch doesn’t exist… Ferraris’ F1 success is the only credible position to base a true Ferrari watch on. They are going they way of Harley; branded Tampons & Trinkets!

CG

Last great Ferrari …365GT 2+2, a great Ferrari watch doesn’t exist… Ferraris’ F1 success is the only credible position to base a true Ferrari watch on. They are going the way of Harley; branded Tampons & Trinkets!

JohnnyJohnnyJohnny

@CG Are the tampons shaped like motorcycles? Go for a ride even when you’re not on your bike!

Daum

This looks silly. The only proper Ferrari watches in my opinion were made by Panerai.